Are you a shopper?

Forever Fed is always in need of supplies of all kinds. 

If you have the gift of shopping, we have a need for shoppers!!!(I feel grown men cringing right now! Ha-ha!!)

A gifted shopper friend recently asked for a list of items we frequently used at our events so she could stock up on appropriate coupons and watch for sales on these items. Well be careful what you ask for because here it is!

If you have a desire to purchase and donate these items we have a great need for the items on this list! When you are ready to drop off supplies, contact us at info@foreverfed.org and we'll let you know how to get those items to us! 

THANK YOU!!!

Paper Products

• Disposable Cups of all kinds...hot and cold
• Napkins
• Heavy Weight plastic forks and spoons (Our meals are hearty and plastic ware needs to be sturdy)
• 10 inch or larger divided portion plates (no flimsy paper plates please)
• 6 inch dessert plates
• Table Covers (Plastic or Paper--any colors)
• Rolls of white butcher paper--for kids to draw on tables
• Sidewalk Chalk--for kids to just have fun at Block Parties

Food Items

• Dried Beans
• Rice
• Cans of drink mixes with sugar already in mix (friut flavors, lemonade, etc)
• Hot Chocolate (Should be going on sale here soon, we can stock up for next fall and winter!)
• Individually wrapped fruit / applesauce cups (we often distribute at events)
• Cans of chunk or slice pineapple (Juice goes into drink mix, pineapple is popular!)
• Cans of sliced jalepeno's (Come in a pop-top can, usually $2 a can-these are a garnish at almost every meal--no glass jars please..they break!) 

Are you a gardener?

Are you a gardener?

I love to garden. I used to love to grow vegetables but simply don't have time to do that and run a ministry as well. 

Do you grow vegetables?

A few years ago I purchased a few vegetable plants at a garden center that came in packs of four or six plants but I only planted a few of each plant in my garden because I knew they'd grow and produce more veggies than my family could eat. 

If I had planted all six zuccini plants or all four of the pepper plants I purchased I'd have way more produce than I could use. When I planted my three zuccini's and two pepper plants, I simply threw the other plants away. What was I thinking? 

Why didn't I plant all the plants I purchased and give the surplus away to others in need? I've no good answer for that question today.

It's spring time and vegetable gardeners are all planning what and where to plant thier 2011 crop. Are you one of those folks or do you know of someone who has a passion for gardening? If so, perhaps you can help us. 

Perhaps you could approach the people you know who plant vegetables and ask them to simply plant a little extra this spring! 

Forever Fed hosts events in impoverished neighborhoods multiple times each month and we would love to be the recipients of your garden surplus this year. Your produce could be utilized in multiple ways through our ministry. 

1. We could use the produce as ingredients for the meals we serve.
2. We could freeze the produce for future use.
3. We could offer that produce to the needy individuals we serve at our events.

Friends, Forever Fed, Inc. would love to assist you in utilizing your excess produce! Feel Free to contact us with questions regarding your fresh produce donations this year and happy gardening!

The Biggest Valentine Ever!

Valentine’s Day is the day we take special actions to show the ones we love how much we care. As I’m typing that I’m thinking, “Wow, that sounds really corny and ‘Hallmarky’.  Ironically, even Hallmark is having a difficult time coming up with new ways to say “I Love You”. Hallmark’s 2011 Valentine’s slogan is “I Love Us” but that slogan is not original, it was actually taken from the movie “500 Days of Summer”.

Or was it?

One of the highest expressions of love is over 3000 years old and contained in the Ten Commandments. Those commandments are God’s way of teaching us about relationships. I like to think of them as “God’s valentine card to humanity”.  The first four commandments are about how to be in right relationship with God, the next six commandments are how to be in right relationship with each other. The Ten Commandments are some of God’s best work! He speaks to us through scripture because He loves us. Actually, the entire Bible is a valentine, a message of love, it’s a big book because He’s a big God and He loves us BIG!

So, do you have a special someone to whom you express your love today? Some people stress out on this day because they don’t have a ‘significant other’ to share their love with and some are depressed because they think they have no one to love. The saddest part about those folks is they’ve bought the lie they’ve been fed.  Thoughts of “I have no one to love and no one loves me” are lies.

The reality is, in addition to loving God, we each have about seven billion opportunities to love. That’s right, seven billion.  That’s how many neighbors we have on the earth. God has given us seven billion neighbors to love which means we have seven billion opportunities to love others. Seven Billion is a big number. Seven Billion. Wow.

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest  commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

In my mind, God is the original author of “I Love Us”, not Hallmark and certainly not Hollywood.

Be God’s Valentine today, don’t buy into the lie, bask in the truth. You are greatly loved by the God that created you and that love is BIG!

Forever Fed from the Eyes of a Volunteer!

There's no better way to start a new week than with a fresh voice from one of our volunteers. This blog entry is from Heather Garren, one of our dedicated Kid's Bible Club servers. Thank you Heather!

***

January 31st, 2011

God has given me a heart for ministering to people by meeting them at the point of their most basic human needs:  water, food, clothing, etc.  Volunteering with Forever Fed has given me the opportunity to serve God by serving others and pursue the passion I believe He has put within me. 

However, something unexpected has happened to me in volunteering with Forever Fed at Kid's Bible Club.  God is using those kids to minister to me. 

Every week, I serve in the 5th & 6th grade girls class.  As those beautiful young ladies file into the classroom, I am reminded of my young self.  I see many emotions on their faces -- joy, sadness, trust, doubt, anger, fear.  When I see their recognition of me and their delight at the presence of Forever Fed, I know that God has me there to shine the light of Jesus into their lives.  What a privilege!

My favorite part of the evening is dessert.  When I hand it out, I get to interact with each girl individually, and even if just for a few seconds, all their walls come down when I hand them that sweet treat.  It reminds me to be thankful for the sweetness of the presence of Jesus in my own life.

I go to KBC to share the love of God.  I know that when I give Him away, He will only give me more of Himself.  The first night I volunteered with Forever Fed, I remember thinking “Can serving one meal a month make a difference in a life?”. The answer is a resounding yes, because it’s made a difference in mine.

Submitted by Heather Garren 

Being the Tree

        Last Spring I was fortunate enough to take a trip with my daughter, one of my sisters, and my Mom to California coast. We rented a car and took a week to drive up hwy one, hitting all of the touristy places like Santa Barbara, Carmel by the Sea, Monterey, etc. It truly was a once in a lifetime trip.  During that trip I was obsessed with trees and took many pictures trying to get just the right majestic view of a tree.  I quickly discovered photography is not my gift.

     The third day of our trip I awoke really early and didn't want to wake anyone so I stayed in bed and prayed. It was then I was inspired to write a poem about a tree. While I wasn't able to capture just the right picture of a tree with a camera, God showed me I was able to translate my thoughts and desires with words.

     When I returned home I looked through all of the pictures of trees I had taken for one to frame with my poem. I never found that perfect photo, got discouraged, and gave up. 

      A few days ago during prayer I was reminded again of my “Be the Tree” poem. In my mind’s eye I was shown the perfect picture to go with the poem. The picture was of a tree from my mission trip to Kenya in November. Ironically, the picture wasn’t one of mine, it was taken by one of my team members.

     So, one year later my framed artwork is finally complete and I have a great memory that combines of two very meaningful trips from 2010. The biggest lesson I’m realizing is God finishes what He starts, He never gives up.  He’s still telling me to “Be the Tree”. I simply need to do the job He’s given me to do and He will use the gifts of others to achieve a completed work.

     Forever Fed is not just Susan Vanderheyden, I’m just one tiny cog in a machine of eight very talented and dedicated leaders. Those leaders represent 7 families and all are working together to drive what is becoming a large and active ministry. The work of the entire leadership has enabled over 100 volunteers to do God’s work in feeding more than 3000 hungry individuals since August 2010. Directing a ministry is way to large a job for just one person but with God, all things are possible!

All we have to do is “Be the Tree”.

1. Life is filled with storms, stand firm in your faith.
2. Praise Him during the storms because they are a gift. Storms make us stronger.
3. Stand triumphantly each day, do the best job you can, glorify your Maker.
4. Once you learn your purpose, stay focused and don't lose sight of the finish line.
5. Trust God to finish the work He began in you.
6. Be the Tree.